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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399309">Naughty Child</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiAyane/pseuds/ChibiAyane'>ChibiAyane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My John Sheppard Challenge [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate Atlantis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angry Atlantis, Blood and Injury, Bondage, Have You Seen The Matrix?, Made-Up Science, Maternal Instinct, Other, Science Fiction, Sentient Atlantis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 10:06:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399309</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiAyane/pseuds/ChibiAyane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>John hits on Atlantis' last nerve. If he couldn't keep himself out of harm's way, then she would!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Atlantis/John Sheppard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My John Sheppard Challenge [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1415662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Crash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You know, I like this pairing so much... but not many other people seem to. Such a shame.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naughty Child</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chapter 1</p>
<p>The jumper jostled them as the shields took another hit from the dart that had been following them since they left the Genii settlement they'd been scoping out. They weren't able to save anyone, though John couldn't bring himself to care too much about the Genii. Too many hard feelings. But that didn't stop him from feeling a little bad about leaving them to their fate, nor did it stop the Wraith from trying to catch them.</p>
<p>“Come on, get off my ass!” John growled, trying all the evasive maneuvres he knew. The shields took another hit and fell completely. The inertial dampeners weren't working right anymore, making every move toss them around the small craft.</p>
<p>A litany of “Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” came from Ronon in his seat behind John, where he was strapped in as tight as possible and holding on for dear life, as the jumper rolled with the hits it was taking.</p>
<p>Something hit one of the engine pods, and alarms started going off. John cussed more colorfully than Ronon had. They were so close to the Stargate, too!</p>
<p>"Shit! Everybody duck, we're going down!" John yelled, even though he was unable to do the thing he was ordering the others to do.</p>
<p>“Please don't kill us!” Rodney begged.</p>
<p>“Try telling the Wraith that!” John shouted back. “Now shut up and duck!”</p>
<p>John felt a frisson of what seemed like worry coming from the interface. He knew the AI in the jumpers was the same AI as in the city. No matter how far away they were, the city could feel out her puddlejumpers. Although, the one time he tried to explain that to Rodney he'd gotten an ear full about why that was impossible. It was almost as bad as the time he tried to suggest that the city of Atlantis was sentient and liked to talk to him in his head, -well, not talk exactly, it was more like a series of impressions. John had been treated to a few sessions with Dr. Heightmeyer for that one.</p>
<p>John felt out these impressions now, screaming in his head where the AI could hear him, begging for shields but there were none that the jumper could give. "Fuck!"</p>
<p>
  <span>Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney all stuck their heads between their knees - Rodney making some remark about kissing his ass goodbye. John watched as they passed over the Stargate, not having time to dial anything before they crashed into a forest of trees that immediately destroyed the front glass screen and chewed up the nose of the jumper as it took a final dive into the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>They finally came to a stop, creating a mound of dirt and debris from the rough landing. The sound of the dart zoomed off into the distance, the Wraith pilot probably assuming they died in such a crash.</p>
<p>Once the momentum and the loud cracking of trees breaking ended, Rodney slowly picked himself up off the floor that he had somehow landed on. He discovered that his seat had broken free from where it was mounted. With a groan, he rose to his feet, bringing a hand up to wipe at the familiar warm stickiness of blood on the side of his face. He had a gash in his cheek, probably from the console.</p>
<p>He looked around the cabin of the jumper, at the wreckage of twisted metal, sparking circuits and flickering crystals. Something in the rear of the jumper was on fire. He could smell the smoke, but thankfully the bulkhead was closed and keeping the majority of the smoke out.</p>
<p>He turned to find Teyla sitting limply in her seat, her arms and legs hanging awkwardly from the odd angle the jumper landed in. There was a large purpling bump on her forehead but her chest was rising and falling. She was knocked unconscious but fairly uninjured.</p>
<p>Ronon was cussing up a storm because he was pinned to his seat by a large piece of metal that Rodney swore belonged on the ceiling of the jumper.</p>
<p>He turned to check on John, only to see a mess of metal, glass, dirt and tree debris where the pilot's seat was supposed to be. All he saw of John was the sole of a boot sticking out from what was left of the console on that side of the craft.</p>
<p>"Oh, my god, John!" Rodney murmured, panicking. He shot forward and started digging through the dirt and debris to find John's head, to at least find out if he was breathing.</p>
<p>"McKay, get me outta here and I can help dig him out," Ronon growled, also more worried about John than he was about himself.</p>
<p>"Yeah, just a sec," Rodney muttered, finally unearthing John's head.</p>
<p>His face was almost unrecognizable with all the dirt and blood covering it. There were several cuts on John's face and head. Rodney felt for his pulse. He found one, it was slow and weak but it was there. The scientist breathed a sigh of relief when he realized his best friend was still breathing, however labored and wet sounding it was. The wet sound was not a good sign but John was alive – for the moment.</p>
<p>Rodney clambered to help Ronon. The jumper was tipped almost completely on its face, making it hard to move. He examined the Satedan's situation, finding the jagged metal ceiling panel was wedged into the grating on the floor, pinning Ronon's legs down. It took a lot of effort and finagling from both of them to navigate the removal of the panel, but they finally got it unstuck. Ronon tossed the large panel aside in frustration. There was a fairly deep and bloody laceration on Ronon's right thigh, but the bigger man seemed unworried.</p>
<p>Ronon limped and slid his way down the weird angle of the ship to where John was buried. He started digging frantically, not caring if his hands got cut up by the metal and glass pieces. He and Rodney soon found most of the right half of John's body.</p>
<p>He wasn't missing any limbs, which was good, but a couple of them were bent in places they shouldn't be. There were many rips of varying sizes in John's BDUs, blood dripping from all of them. Rodney was worried about internal bleeding.</p>
<p>"McKay, you need to run to the gate and get help," Ronon said, once he found a large stick that he couldn't pull out of the way. He realized it was stuck because it was protruding through John's chest and shoulder, which explained the wet wheezing sounds as he breathed. "Now!" he shouted.</p>
<p>He needn't have shouted, as Rodney was already climbing through a hole that was supposed to be part of the front screen of the jumper. It was easier than trying to climb up to the back and try to open the ramp.</p>
<p>Once out, Rodney ran as hard and fast as he could across the long streak that was their crash site, finding they were about a hundred yards away from the Stargate. What nearly gave him pause was the sound of Wraith darts in the distance, but that just made the genius try to run faster.</p>
<p>He got to the Stargate and dialed Atlantis, frantically messaging their need for assistance.</p>
<p>"There was a dart chasing us, firing at us. The jumper crashed. It's bad, really bad. Colonel Sheppard is very much not okay," Rodney panted through his earpiece. He tried to explain more about what happened, but his sentences were disjointed and incomplete. His chest was hurting and breathing was painful. He was pretty sure he might have a broken or a bruised rib or two.</p>
<p>"Okay, Rodney, try to breathe and rest. We're sending Lorne's team through, along with the medical staff, in another jumper," Colonel Carter responded.</p>
<p>"Good," Rodney sighed, slumping to his knees next to the dialing device. "That's good."</p>
<p>Little more than a minute later, a jumper came through the Stargate with Major Lorne at the controls, followed immediately by another rescue team and a unit of marines. He assumed Dr. Keller and the medical staff were in the jumper.</p>
<p>Rodney tried to run back to the crash site, but he was thwarted by one of the other rescuers and handed off to one of the nurses that tagged along.</p>
<p>Rodney had started shaking and showing obvious signs of shock. He argued with the nurse that was trying to get him to go back to the gate - he wanted to help save John, dammit! - but finally, the nurse shouted him down and his arguing subsided.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Ronon was carefully digging the rest of John out, without disturbing what he now discovered was a whole tree branch sticking through John's body. He heard people approaching and tensed until he made out Jennifer's voice and the distinct sound of a jumper's engines.</p>
<p>Mere moments later, Dr. Keller's head came through the hole that Rodney had climbed out. She looked around, eyes glancing at Teyla before landing on Ronon and then on what she could see of John.</p>
<p>"Oh, god," she breathed, then started digging more dirt and debris out of the way to make the hole bigger.</p>
<p>She was joined by soldiers and other medical staff in her digging. Some of the marines started in on taking apart the front portion of the jumper, serving in equals parts to aid the rescue effort and for the salvage that would take place once the occupants were removed. They were soon met by the sound of saws and blowtorches.</p>
<p>Jennifer crawled through the hole, now big enough for her pull a backboard through after her. She first went to check on Teyla, who seemed to be coming around. In short order, she and another rescuer had the Athosian on the backboard and passed through the hole to the other medical staff waiting outside.</p>
<p>Another board was passed through, with a marine who was volunteered to help extract John from the wreckage. A saw had to be brought in to carefully cut through the branch that had skewered John.</p>
<p>Once he'd been carefully freed from that, John was gently rolled and lifted onto the backboard. He was laid on his side to leave room for the branch that couldn't be removed in the field. It worked out best that way, as it was soon discovered that John's left leg wouldn't have laid flat anyway.</p>
<p>"Okay, gently everyone," Jennifer said, carefully maneuvering John and the board he was strapped to through the now even larger hole, the marines having had taken out big chunks of metal to make way for the worst off patient to be moved.</p>
<p>John was brought out into the sunlight, a few gasps and murmurs from the others outside were heard until Carson laid a shock blanket over John. He, Jennifer and three others ran with John to the other jumper, or at least they tried to hurry over the field of wreckage and debris to get to where the other jumper was sitting.</p>
<p>Ronon wasn't far behind them, limping as fast as he could, with the help of one of the marines. John was loaded into the jumper and laid alongside Teyla. Ronon sat on one of the seats at his friend and taskmaster's side. The jumper's ramp closed and they took off toward the Stargate.</p>
<p>Ronon watched as Doctors Keller and Beckett and the few medical staff that could fit in the jumper worked on both of his closest friends. One of the nurses was trying to wrap a temporary dressing around Ronon's leg, but he wasn't cooperating.</p>
<p>“They need your help more than I do,” Ronon growled, shoving the woman's hands away.</p>
<p>Teyla was conscious now, though still a little out of it. The nurse helping her had to keep pulling Teyla's hand away from the oxygen mask on her face, as she kept trying to pull it off.</p>
<p>Carson was working on John, putting an oxygen mask over the bloody mess that was John's face and putting field dressings on the worst of his wounds at the same time he was trying to wipe away some of the blood so he could see how bad the wounds actually were. Jennifer was cutting away John's shirt so she could try to stabilize the branch that was sticking out of his chest. Someone had already put the Colonel's right arm in a splint.</p>
<p>Ronon couldn't take his eyes off of what was happening with John. He couldn't believe this was happening. He'd never realized a simple crash could do that to a person. John looked dead from where he was sitting, the stuttered rising and falling of his chest being the only indication that he was alive. Up until now, John had seemed almost unstoppable. Sure, he got hurt from time to time; a cut here, a bruise there, even the odd gunshot wound. But he'd never been hurt like this. Never with any real threat to his life.</p>
<p>After the unmistakable feeling of passing through the Stargate, Ronon was rushed out of the jumper after the two groups that were carrying John and Teyla and putting them onto waiting gurneys.</p>
<p>
  <span>They emerged into the infirmary to the sound of Rodney McKay being the worst patient ever, uncooperative until he saw his friends brought in. After that, his cooperation got worse when he tried to get to his friends instead of staying on the bed the infirmary medics were trying to keep him on.</span>
</p>
<p>“Oh, thank goodness!” Rodney sighed, glad that his friends made it there. His face fell, as John was wheeled past him. “Jesus, is he gonna be okay?” he asked Carson as he went by.</p>
<p>“I have no idea, Rodney,” Dr. Beckett paused long enough to talk to him. “I haven't seen something this bad since I was a field medic.”</p>
<p>“But he's gonna be okay, right?” Rodney asked again, his voice wavering, begging Carson to say 'Yes'.</p>
<p>“I honestly don't know,” Carson replied. “Listen, he's going to need more than one surgeon. So, I have to go.” With that, Dr. Beckett followed after the entourage that was treating the Colonel.</p>
<p>“Dr. McKay, I need you to come with me, please,” one of the other doctors said. “I need to do a scan on you.”</p>
<p>“What? No, I don't have time for that,” Rodney argued, still looking at the group assembled around John, as they prepped him for surgery. The doctor tried to get Rodney's attention again, even tried to just pull him along to the scanner, but Rodney wouldn't let him. “I said no!” he spat, moving to go after them when they wheeled John into the operating room. Eventually, it devolved into a wrestle with three other medics to keep Rodney from bursting into the OR that ended with a sedative being jabbed into the scientist's arm.</p>
<p>Ronon sat on his gurney, silently letting the nurses tend to his leg and the other smaller wounds he hadn't even realized he had. He watched Rodney fight with the medical staff after he watched his friend wheeled away on the brink of death. He wanted to walk into that operating room to make sure the doctors did their jobs, to make sure John wasn't dead, but he knew he couldn't go in there if the fight with McKay was anything to go by. He glanced at Teyla, who had woken up but she was very pale and her vision was unfocused. Ronon knew that meant she had one hell of a concussion. He was interrupted from his musings by the feel of a needle in his arm. A nurse was putting an IV in and taping it down. He didn't think anything of it until he saw the nurse push some medicine into one of the ports, and suddenly his eyes started to droop from the sedative. He was gently laid down and covered by a very warm blanket before he was drawn into sweet oblivion.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>To be continued.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Censure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2</p>
<p>Radek was working on some repairs in the Chair Room, trying to keep his mind off the fact that Rodney and the rest of his team were in the infirmary. The rumor was that Colonel Sheppard was practically dead when he was brought in. That was hours ago and he hadn't heard anything since they'd been brought in. He didn't want to think about what that meant for the soldier that took care of them all every day.</p>
<p>His mind was on this when the Chair suddenly glowed bright blue while there was no occupant in it. The other lights in the city dimmed alarmingly. Radek clung to his tablet with a death grip as he watched strange metallic tendrils snake out from under the Chair that then darted out the door.</p>
<p>Radek yelped, grateful no one was there to hear him, then immediately went to follow the tendrils. His hand went to his communicator.</p>
<p>“Colonel Carter, we have a problem!” Radek shouted.</p>
<p>“What is it, Dr. Zelenka?” Carter answered him.</p>
<p>“There are... things that came out of the Control Chair,” he rattled off. “I don't know what they are. They're like... metal tentacles?”</p>
<p>"What?" Carter asked in confusion.</p>
<p>“I don't know!” Radek yelled. “They are moving through the hallways of the city at an alarming pace. I'm trying to follow them, but they've gotten ahead of me. I don't know where they are going!”</p>
<p>Radek heard people shout or scream in surprise as the tentacles passed them in the halls. Colonel Carter had gone silent for several moments, as Radek kept racing through corridors, trying to catch up to the tentacles.</p>
<p>“Nevermind, Zelenka, I see them. Get back to the Chair Room and figure out what's going on,” Colonel Carter barked at him through his earpiece.</p>
<p>Radek stopped fast, his shoe making a squeak on the floor as he doubled back, running back to the Chair when he heard Rodney shout into the coms.</p>
<p>“Radek, what the hell did you do?!” Rodney yelled. “What are these things?”</p>
<p>“<span>I don't know!” Radek shouted back, frustrated that people kept snapping at him for an explanation he didn't have. “They came out of the Chair!” He paused as he rounded a corner. “Wait, why are you blaming me!?”</span></p>
<p>“I'm on my way,” Rodney responded, ignoring Zelenka's comment.</p>
<p>“Rodney, no!” Carter said over the communicator. “You're injured. You are to stay in the infirmary, that's an order.”</p>
<p>“Good thing I'm not military,” Rodney sniped. “Besides, I'm the only one smart enough to figure this out and you know it!”</p>
<p>Radek rolled his eyes as he ran back into the Chair Room and plugged his tablet into the base of the Chair to figure out what it was doing. He was joined by Rodney a couple of minutes later, who was pale and sweating, a wrap around his ribs, a bandage on his face and a brace on his right wrist. He yanked the tablet away from Radek, who rolled his eyes again.</p>
<p>“Rodney, I can figure this out without you!” Radek argued.</p>
<p>“No, you can't!” Rodney spat, tapping away at the screen of the tablet.</p>
<p>“Rodney, you're injured!” Radek argued.</p>
<p>“The tentacle things are headed for the infirmary,” Rodney said to himself, ignoring Zelenka. “Why?”</p>
<p>“Weren't you just in the infirmary?” Radek asked.</p>
<p>"No, I woke up and got the hell out of there! I didn't feel like being sedated again," Rodney grumbled. He tapped on the tablet some more but was disturbed by screaming and shouting over the coms.</p>
<p>"What the hell is going on?!" Jennifer's voice shrieked at anyone who was listening. "These... metal things just wrapped themselves around my patient!"</p>
<p>“They what?!” Rodney and Radek both yelled.</p>
<p>“Not John?” Rodney asked hopefully.</p>
<p>“Yes, John! I was in the middle of doing surgery!” Jennifer said. “And they just grabbed him and carried him away!”</p>
<p>“Rodney!” Carson chimed in with a calmer voice. “What's happening? Are we under attack or something?”</p>
<p>“<span>No! I'm not sure,” Rodney replied, eyes on his tablet. “The interface isn't really cooperating. It's like it's mad or something, but I don't think it has anything to do with an attack. It's all coming from the Control Chair and the city's interface.”</span></p>
<p>“Well, the city does have a certain level of sentience, Rodney,” Carter said. “Where is it taking Colonel Sheppard?”</p>
<p>"I know that!" Rodney answered. After reading something on his screen, Rodney paused. "And I'd guess it's bringing him here!" He sighed, grumbling under his breath. "Okay, if I'm interpreting this correctly, the city is angry. I didn't know it could feel emotions much less something as complex as anger. It's a computer for god's sake! But it's mad at John specifically," he said, just in time for the tentacles to carry the very man himself into the room.</p>
<p>They gently dropped John into the Chair and the tendrils retracted, only for another set of glowing fibrous tendrils to emerge. Several people, including Colonel Carter and marines with guns, burst into the room in time to see the glowing fibers envelop John's body, focusing their ends at any wound they found on him.</p>
<p>Dr. Keller ran in, still in her operating gown with splotches of blood on it. She ran up and reached to grab at the fibers to pull them off of John so she could get him back to the operating room, but the moment her fingers touched them a shock zapped through her fingers.</p>
<p>“Ouch!” she cried out, yanking her fingers back.</p>
<p>“I don't think it's going to let us move him,” Rodney said, standing on the other side of John in the Chair, as close as he dared to stand to the things that just gave Jennifer the shock of her life.</p>
<p>They watched as some metallic tendrils wrapped themselves liquidly around John's wrists and ankles and around his midsection, seeming to form to his body in what looked like molten quicksilver as if the very material the Chair was made from was pouring itself around John.</p>
<p>Some of the glowing fibers moved to a point of focus at the back of John's neck at the base of his skull. A shock seemed to go through them and into the Colonel. John's body bucked upward as much as it could, a cry of alarm coming from the man who had been shocked awake. His eyes shot open and looked around in confusion, landing on Rodney.</p>
<p>"What's happening?" John rasped. His face was covered in superficial wounds, most of the blood and dirt having been washed away when they prepped him for surgery. The glowing fibers were poking at the various cuts on his friend's face.</p>
<p>“Um, I'm not entirely sure,” Rodney said. “What I do know, long story short, Atlantis is mad at you and is trying to fix you. How? I don't know. I didn't know it could do this!”</p>
<p>“What?” John said, even more confused. “Wait.” He frowned, closing his eyes as if listening to something. “Okay, yeah, she's pissed.”</p>
<p>“Huh,” Rodney murmured. “I guess the city is more sentient than we've been giving it credit for.”</p>
<p>“I tried to tell you that, Rodney,” John said, voice full of pain and his breath wheezing.</p>
<p>“Well, honestly John, saying that a city has a mind of its own - is sentient enough to feel emotions - just makes you sound like a crazy person! Even in this instance!” Rodney argued. "This is just disturbing!"</p>
<p>“Well, she can feel and right now she's pissed and worried,” John said, grimacing at the pain. He was panting wetly, seeming unable to catch his breath. “She kind of sounds like my mother.”</p>
<p>“She's talking to you right now?” Carter asked from beside Jennifer.</p>
<p>Before he could answer, John screamed in pain, droplets of blood painting his lips in the process. Rodney and others turned to find out what was causing him more pain and watched as hundreds of the bright fibers pushed themselves into every single one of John's wounds. Rodney could practically hear John's teeth grinding together from trying not to scream again. Another shock went through John's body from the weird cluster attached to his neck, causing him to grunt in pain and his body to jerk violently. Rodney was alarmed to find that his friend was unconscious again, though also relieved that he was no longer feeling the pain anymore.</p>
<p>Jennifer went to try pulling the fibers away again, but Colonel Carter stopped her.</p>
<p>“Don't,” Carter said. “I don't think we're going to be able to take them off or move John until Atlantis decides to let us.”</p>
<p>“But he's seriously wounded!” Jennifer argued. “He has several broken bones and internal bleeding that needs to be fixed now or he'll die!”</p>
<p>“That's what the Chair is doing,” Rodney said from the other side of said Chair, eyes bright as he looked at the information on the tablet in his hands. “I didn't know that it could do this, but those weird fibers are healing him.”</p>
<p>“How is that possible?” Carter asked.</p>
<p>“It's fascinating!” Rodney continued, staring at his tablet. “Usually, the Chair works by the user giving commands to the Chair's interface, but right now it's reversed. The commands are coming from the Chair and into the user. Essentially, it's commanding John's body to heal faster, just like on any other day John would command the Chair to fire the drones or raise the shields.”</p>
<p>“That's not a very comforting scenario, Rodney,” Carter said. “That implies the Chair could possibly control the user and not the other way around.”</p>
<p>“Well... yeah,” Rodney faltered. “But it's not really controlling John, it's just basically giving John's metabolism and immune system a kick in the pants to make them move faster. A lot faster.”</p>
<p>“Still not making me feel any better about this,” Carter said.</p>
<p>"Okay. What I don't understand is why it's doing this now?" Jennifer asked. "John and many others have been hurt in the past and it has never... done this!" She gestured with both hands to the mass of glowing fibers that looked a lot like bright luminescent fiber optics. "And if it can heal him, why wait until after I've already done hours of reconstructive surgery on him?"</p>
<p>“Uh,” Rodney said unhelpfully, tapping at his tablet again. He shrugged. “Maybe it's just because John's never gotten hurt this bad before? The AI is acting like a... Well, like an angry parent who's pissed at their child for doing something stupid.”</p>
<p>“It probably waited until you'd repaired enough that he wouldn't bleed out on the way down here. Until he was out of the woods, so to speak,” Carter told Keller.</p>
<p>“And it's doing it to John instead of anyone else because he's probably like the city's favorite child?” Rodney suggested with a frown. "I'm guessing?"</p>
<p>"Well, yeah. Think about it, John's got the strongest concentration of the ATA gene in the entire expedition. He's the only one with enough of a connection to the city that he claims to be able to talk to it. None of the other gene carriers have reported anything like that. I've heard tell of nothing more than a strange presence in the back of their minds. Like a feeling of not being alone in an empty room. No one else has said anything about talking to or listening to the City of Atlantis," Carter continued.</p>
<p>She paused and looked down at John. “Maybe it is a bit like a parent looking after its child.”</p>
<p>“<span>A very intelligent parent who's been alone for ten thousand years and doesn't want to lose the only person she can talk to,” Jennifer said. That quietened Rodney's and Carter's excitement about the discovery. </span></p>
<p>Rodney cleared his throat and went back to his computer. “Well, it's not going to let go of him any time soon, so,” Rodney trailed off.</p>
<p>“I'm not leaving,” Jennifer said, crossing her arms.</p>
<p>“Okay, I want someone in here watching him at all times, anyway,” Carter said, turning to give her instructions to Major Lorne, who had been one of the people in the mad dash to the Chair Room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To be continued.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Conundrum</h2></a>
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    <p>Naughty Child Chapter 3</p>
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<p>Nearly a day passed before John stirred in the still glowing Control Chair, groaning as he finally woke up from his impromptu coma.</p>
<p>Jennifer shot up from where she was dozing in a chair that one of the marines had brought her when they'd taken away her bloody operating gown after the first hour or so of watching John. Rodney got up from where he was lounging against the base of the Chair, tablet still in hand. They watched John's eyes flutter open, though there was no sign of the Chair letting him go.</p>
<p>"Hey," Jennifer said quietly, careful not to touch the tendrils again, after the shock she got the last time she'd tried. Of course, she'd tried again after the first time. She couldn't not. "How are you feeling?" John's hazy eyes finally found hers.</p>
<p>“I feel like I got hit by a freight train,” John murmured, voice scratchy and dry.</p>
<p>“Close enough, you crashed a jumper into a forest full of really big trees at about the speed of a freight train,” Rodney said. "If not faster."</p>
<p>“I know, I was there,” John said, giving Rodney a wry look with narrowed eyes. He looked around at the ceiling and the walls. "Am I in the Chair room?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Rodney replied.</p>
<p>"Why?" John asked, frowning.</p>
<p>"Um," Rodney hesitated. "It's kind of a long story."</p>
<p>"Seriously, John, how do you feel?" Jennifer asked again. She looked him over, most of his smaller wounds were closed up as if they'd never been, but the deeper ones were still present. He would probably have scars from the big ones, but he was in a much better state than he was when he was brought in here.</p>
<p>John frowned for a moment. “Good, I think,” he answered. “My chest hurts a little.”</p>
<p>“Not surprising, there was a hole in your chest about the size of a silver dollar. A tree branch had gone straight through you,” Jennifer told him. “I'd be very surprised if it was completely healed right now. How does your left leg feel?”</p>
<p>“Fine,” John frowned again. “Why?”</p>
<p>"Because it was broken in several places. Even a compound fracture in your femur," Jennifer informed him. "That means the bone was sticking out." She looked down at his legs. "It's not sticking out anymore. Some interesting sounds were coming from it when these fibers started healing your leg."</p>
<p>John tried to look down at his legs, then tried to move his arms, tried to sit up but he was still being held down to the Chair.</p>
<p>“I can't move,” John said, sounding worried. He looked at Rodney. “Get me out of this thing!”</p>
<p>“I can't,” Rodney said. “I've tried everything I can think of, short of pulling the power to the Chair. Nothing is working. We didn't want to risk killing you by accident if we disconnected the power.”</p>
<p>"We still think that would be a bad idea because you're still injured," Jennifer said. "We don't know if you're actually healing or if the Chair is keeping you alive. I mean, obviously, it's healed your superficial wounds, but I don't know what that means for your deeper ones. So, you're stuck there until Atlantis decides to let you go. You look like you're healing. You look much better than you did, but we don't want to take any chances."</p>
<p>John closed his eyes and gave the city a mental 'WTF?'. He only got the equivalent of an angry huff in response. He tried asking nicely but got what was like a mental angry glare for even asking. Atlantis gave him an impression that felt very much like the sentence, 'You can come out of your room when you've learned your lesson!', which was just weird coming from a city.</p>
<p>“Uh, she's not gonna let me out any time soon,” John informed them. “Even if I heal completely, which,” he said, turning to Rodney. “Explain that to me?”</p>
<p>“The Chair is making your body focus almost completely on healing, and it's kind of giving your metabolism energy from the ZPM powering the Chair. Your body is reacting similarly to how you'd react to steroids only a hundred times faster,” Rodney said. “It's completely fascinating.”</p>
<p>John just looked at him. “No, you don't get to do any experiments on me,” he said preemptively, eyes narrowed. He turned from Rodney's frown to look at Jennifer. “My neck feels weird,” he said as he tilted his head side to side a little.</p>
<p>“That's because the little fibers that are healing you have also attached themselves to the back of your neck, and I'd wager they're attached to your brain stem, too,” she told him.</p>
<p>John's eyes widened, as he tensed. “That doesn't sound good.”</p>
<p>“It's really not,” Jennifer said. “But I have to assume the city's AI knows what it's doing and won't end up killing you when it finally lets you out of this Chair.”</p>
<p>"I think the attachment on your brain stem is what's controlling your healing factor," Rodney said. "And the little ones in your wounds are just giving your cells more energy to work with. You're gonna be practically radioactive if this keeps up." He gave an ineffectual chuckle until John glared at him again.</p>
<p>“How long until I'm completely healed?” John asked.</p>
<p>“No clue,” Rodney replied.</p>
<p>“I'm the ranking military officer on this base,” John argued. “I can't be trapped in this thing forever!”</p>
<p>“Well, Major Lorne is going to have to take over for a while,” Jennifer told him. “Even if you hadn't been spirited away into this Chair, you'd still be on medical leave for at least a few weeks after those injuries. You have to understand that you almost died, John.” She smirked when all John did was groan.</p>
<p>“Where's Ronon and Teyla?” John asked, just now realizing neither of them were present.</p>
<p>"Teyla is resting in observation," Jennifer said. "She got a nasty crack on the head and she's going to be concussed for quite a while. Ronon had a laceration on his leg that was pretty deep. It cut through muscle and a couple of tendons. Carson had to do surgery on it."</p>
<p>“Ronon wasn't happy about that,” Rodney said. “We could hear him yelling from here.”</p>
<p>“Now Ronon's grumbling and roaming around the city, complaining about having to use crutches, according to Beckett. But they're both fine.” Jennifer smiled, then glared at Rodney. “Rodney should really be resting his broken ribs, but he's too stubborn to leave this room.”</p>
<p>John glared at Rodney yet again. “Rodney, get your ass back to the infirmary.”</p>
<p>“No,” the physicist argued. “And you can't make me.”</p>
<p>John growled. “When I get out of here...”</p>
<p>“How's our patient?” Colonel Carter asked, walking into the room.</p>
<p>“Unhappy,” Jennifer answered. “And threatening Rodney's wellbeing.”</p>
<p>“I'm sure Rodney deserves it,” Carter said, smirking. She came to stand beside John. “You did quite a number on that Jumper, Colonel.”</p>
<p>“Oops,” John replied. “I didn't do it all by myself, you know.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Sam Carter said. “Well, it'll never fly again. But at least we can salvage parts that can be used to repair other jumpers. We're saving the seat that Rodney was in for posterity.” She looked at the scientist in question. “You were lucky enough to have your seat break free of its mount. Otherwise, you'd have been in a similar state to the one John was in. The console was completely destroyed.”</p>
<p>“Really?” John asked, grimacing. “No wonder she's pissed.”</p>
<p>“Talking about the city again?” Sam asked with a smile.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” John replied. “You guys believe me now that she's got a mind of her own?” He tilted his head side to side, the only part of his body that he could move in the slightest. “I'm not going to need another psych eval later?”</p>
<p>"No, we believe you," Sam said. "She's been a little more... well, not vocal, but present in some of the other controls in the city. Apparently, she doesn't trust us with your safety anymore. She stopped Carson from bringing an IV in here by locking him out. She's changed the climate in this room specifically to make you comfortable, I assume. Anytime I try to type up a report about you or schedule you for mission duty, even months from now, she deletes it."</p>
<p>“You're scheduling me months in advance?” John asked, just getting a look from Sam. “I'll talk to her,” John said. “Not right now, because she's already giving me censure at the moment.”</p>
<p>Rodney chuckled at John's expense, gaining a wry glare from all present.</p>
<p>“Can someone please get me out of this thing?” John begged, sounding like a bored child, trying to wriggle around in the Chair but having no luck.</p>
<p>“No can do,” Jennifer said. “It's not up to us.”</p>
<p>"Damn," John groaned, wriggling around some more. "I think my ass has gone numb."</p>
<p>A strange sensation underneath him made John pause. Suddenly, the seat felt squishier than it was a moment ago.</p>
<p>"Weird," John said.</p>
<p>"What?" Rodney asked.</p>
<p>"The seat just got softer," John replied. "I get the impression I'm gonna be here a lot longer than any of us would like if she's just going to adjust things to make me more comfortable in the Chair."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Sam asked.</p>
<p>"Well," John started. "If her 'tone' is anything to go by, she would have me in this chair forever, if it were humanly possible. Luckily, it's not. She knows I can't stay in this thing forever and stay healthy, which is comforting I suppose. Sort of. Apparently, she doesn't trust me to be safe on my own."</p>
<p>The only response that greeted his words was a heavy silence among those present. Finally, Colonel Carter turned to Rodney.</p>
<p>"I'd like you to run some tests. Do simulations on what would happen if we just pulled the plug, if you have to," she said. "If there's a way to get him out of this chair without having to wait for the city to do it, I want the option on the table."</p>
<p>"Right," Rodney said, looking thoughtful and a little unnerved by the idea of the great city of Atlantis keeping his best friend bound to the Chair forever.</p>
<p>Sam turned back to John. "Until we can figure this out, however, you're going to have to just bear with us. That means no whining."</p>
<p>"I don't whine," John said, looking affronted. He wriggled a little bit. "Though, this is going to get boring really fast. I can't even solve the puzzles in my sudoku books like this."</p>
<p>"Sorry," Sam said, shrugging. "There's nothing I can do about that."</p>
<p>"Well, I could read to you, or something," Jennifer supplied. "I'm not letting my patient out of my sight any time soon, so it's not like I have anything better to do than try to entertain you while Rodney does his thing."</p>
<p>"That sounds lovely, thank you," John said, smiling at her.</p>
<p>"I'll have Dr. Zelenka bring some storybooks along when I send him down here to help Rodney," Sam said, turning to leave the room.</p>
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<p>To be continued.</p>
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